Redeem the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters #5)(23)

Something was happening near the center of the field. Men were shouting. Men? Bears were changing back to their human forms in the middle of battle? They would die within seconds. More yelling, but Corin was already running after the grizzly. He was hurting Joanna. Ducking a flying claw from a fighting pair of black bears, she scrabbled for footing on the dewy grass and latched onto his neck again. She couldn’t fail this time. It wasn’t just her who would die. Joanna would go with her. The grizzly was fighting for his life and exceptionally dangerous to two bears half his size.

She clamped down and held on as Joanna clawed at him. Another blazing cut sliced through her back, but if a bear was going to kill her from behind, there was nothing she could do about it now.

The bear went limp, and his eyes glassed over as he stared at the haunted meadow grass in front of his face. When Corin looked up, Joanna was watching a bear streak across the field with wide eyes. A small, muddy blonde grizzly was running toward the tree line, but why was she retreating?

Unless she wasn’t retreating.

She wasn’t Bear Valley, not anymore. Merit was headed for camp.

Men’s yelling was becoming increasingly louder, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the murderous look on Merit’s face. What was she after?

She grunted in horror with the realization. Hannah!

Joanna had engaged with another black bear and Anya was running to help her, and the panic in Joanna’s eyes gutted Corin. Her friend bellowed a short roar. Go.

Hesitating only long enough to make sure Anya reached the fight, she took off after Merit, paws punching the ground as she pushed herself faster and faster. Warmth was trickling down her back, but there wasn’t time to worry about that. Merit had already disappeared into the trees.

Ducking around a charging sun bear, Corin panted and pushed her ruined body faster.

Hannah was human and defenseless.

The oracle had been right to visit Riker’s dream.





Chapter Ten



The medical tent was thrashed, and everywhere spilled supplies and tables lay useless in the mud. An old, gray-faced bear lay still near a splintered pine and Hannah screamed, “Daria,” over and over like it would bring the old healer back.

Merit circled Hannah, about to lunge, and there was no time to slow down and mourn the great loss.

Hannah was crying as she lifted her face to Merit. “Why?” she screamed.

Merit huffed a cruel sounding laugh and lurched toward her.

Shielding her face, Hannah crumpled against Daria’s body as Corin flew over her and hit Merit in the chest.

The grizzly fell backward, and kicked Corin in the stomach so hard, she went sprawling against a tree. The rough bark scraped her side as she slid down it, but Merit was already upright again. Out of time, Corin scrabbled forward and latched onto Merit’s back leg. The loud crack of snapping bone echoed through the woods. She wished she could tell Hannah to run, but she couldn’t get out more than a growl, and the tiny human was looking frantically around for something. No broken table leg or stick was going to put Merit off of the murder she intended though.

Roaring in anger and pain, the grizzly spun and raked a vicious volley of resounding slaps against Corin’s face and neck. Pain was everything, burning brightly as Merit’s claws slashed her again and again.

She could see it now. Her doom was coming as Merit reared back and lifted her paw. One side of the grizzly’s lip was curled up with smug satisfaction as she limped closer and tensed her arm to deal the final blow.

Corin closed her eyes as the six inch claws arched toward her face.

Boom, boom, boom. The echo of gunfire rocked the woods and Merit stood stunned above Corin. Hannah stood ten feet away with what looked like a Glock raised in her shaking hands.

The birds fled and the breeze didn’t dare to life a single leaf. All was quite except for the sound of men’s angry voices that drifted through the trees from the haunted meadow.

Merit slid a shocked glance to Hannah, and grunted once before she fell backward. Two more shallow breaths, and the grizzly stilled in a crumpled heap.

A sob escaped Hannah’s throat as she rushed toward Corin. “Oh my God, oh my God,” she chanted. “What do I do?” Her fingers fluttered over Corin’s neck, barely touching the fine ends of her matted fur.

“Anya!” she screamed. “Anya, help me!” Her voice was petrified and hoarse, and the panic in it scared Corin.

She must look bad to frighten brave Hannah.

“Fuck, f*ck, f*ck,” Hannah sobbed as she searched the upended supplies for something.

Everything hurt so badly, Corin would pass out soon.

The men’s shouting was closer now, and footsteps pounded against the forest.

“No.” Brooks tone was so bleak.

He stood in the shadow of the quiet woods, cut, bleeding and naked. His eyes, so dark and empty the last time she’d seen him, were silver and full of horror as he looked at her now. At least he felt something.

She tried to curl her lips back in a reassuring smile as he rushed to her. What was he doing here? The battle wasn’t over.

“Change back,” he demanded, panic lacing his voice.

She didn’t have the energy, but she couldn’t tell him so. Her arm pricked and Hannah emptied something cold into her veins. Her heart started pounding faster and her body hummed.

“Corin, I need you to change back,” Brooks pleaded.